Off-Road Driving - GMC Sierra Denali 2006 Owner's Manual

If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety, you
will want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear. Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues — such as enough water, ice, or packed snow
on the road to make a mirrored surface — and
slow down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
4-14

Off-Road Driving

If your vehicle has 20-inch tire/wheel assemblies, you
should not drive off-road unless you are on a level, solid
surface. See Tires on page 5-54.
Many of the same design features that help make your
vehicle responsive on paved roads during poor weather
conditions — features like the locking rear axle and
all-wheel drive — help make it much better suited for
off-road use than a conventional passenger car. Its
higher ground clearance also helps your vehicle step
over some off-road obstacles. But your vehicle does not
have features like special underbody shielding and a
transfer case low gear range, things that are usually
thought necessary for extended or severe off-road
service. This guide is for operating your vehicle off
paved roads.
Also, see Braking on page 4-6.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it does have
some definite hazards. The greatest of these is
the terrain itself.
"Off-roading" means you have left the great North
American road system behind. Traffic lanes are not
marked. Curves are not banked. There are no road
signs. Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill or
downhill. In short, you have gone right back to nature.